The federal government has found that Indianapolis Public Schools violated Title IX by denying female students an equal opportunity to participate in its high school sports programs.

The district and the U.S. Department of Education have reached an agreement to resolve the violations.

The deal includes improving athletic facilities, equipment and supplies, and more equitable prime-time scheduling of girls games and practice times, according to Catherine Lhamon, assistant secretary for civil rights for the DOE.

The three-year investigation began as a compliance review in September 2010, Lhamon said, rather than from a complaint.

"We were light on data that we had about disparities in the athletic participation opportunities for girls in the district," Lhamon said.

"We're really thrilled since we entered into the agreement, they've already started to supply information to us. It has been their obligation all along to satisfy Title IX requirements so it's always important to take steps moving forward. But we did find they were out of compliance in several significant areas."

Download a copy of the DOE letter to IPS Superintendent Lewis Ferebee here.

Some examples of concerns cited in the report:

> At Tech High School, athletes said the girls basketball players had to pay the full price for shoes ($120), while the boys paid a discounted price ($40).

> At Marshall High School, the softball team had only three bats to use. The girls basketball team was using jerseys previously used by a boys middle school team. The soccer, cross-country and track teams reported not having enough shorts to dress all the players.

Additionally, the DOE determined that IPS had about a 50-50 split in girls and boys in enrollment during the 2010-11 school year, with a participation rate of 35 percent for the girls.

Nationally for the 2012-13 school year, 41 percent of high school participants were girls; in Indiana it was 40 percent.

Le Boler, IPS organizational strategist, said the district is not questioning the Title IX findings.

"What I can say is we're not in a position to where we want to dispute any of the findings. What we want to focus on is making certain each of our students have equitable opportunities," Boler said.

Officials will begin communicating with IPS students to determine their desire and needs as far as athletics.

"Once we hear from our students on what it is they would like to have, then we will go about the work of enhancing their experience," Boler said. "We want our students to have a well-rounded experience."

Boler said she wants honest feedback from students on where to make improvements.

"It's not going to be a lackadaisical effort. We are going to approach it wholeheartedly," Boler said.

Northwest High School athletic director Otis Curry said the school added girls soccer last fall.

"If we see we have enough interest in it and we can field a team, we'll field a sport," Curry said.

"It's hard to field a sport if you don't have an interest."

For instance, Curry said the school has girls tennis but not boys tennis because there hasn't been enough interest.

Bush said having enthusiastic coaches will help.

"You've got to make sure you have the right coaches in place that are kid magnets and will get the kids to come out and try some things," Bush said.

"It's not like elementary school, where everyone wants to give it a shot. You have to provide them with opportunities and programs that interest them."

Broad Ripple girls basketball coach Racquel Simpson said she thinks there has been improvement since the review began in 2010.

"Here at Broad Ripple, I know boys and girls have worked out gym and equal opportunity stuff," said Simpson, who has been coach for seven seasons. "The only concern I have that I'm currently working on now with my AD (athletic director) is prime-time game schedules to get our girls involved in more of that."